The present invention is directed to an occupant restraining system in a vehicle and specifically to a method and apparatus for controlling an actuatable, occupant side restraining system having an enhanced side safing function.
Actuatable systems for restraining vehicle occupants during side impact crash events are known in the art. Such actuatable restraining devices include side air bags that are actuated in response to a detected side deployment vehicle crash condition. These side restraining devices are in addition to actuatable frontal restraining devices.
A controller typically controls actuation of an actuatable side restraining device in response to signals provided from one or more crash sensors that monitor for a sideways crash condition. U.S. Pat. No. 5,758,899 to Foo et al., assigned to TRW Inc., discloses a side actuatable restraining device that is actuated when (i) a first sideways oriented accelerometer provides a primary crash acceleration signal indicative of a deployment crash event, and (ii) a second sideways oriented accelerometer provides a safing crash signal indicative of a deployment crash event.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,826,902 to Foo et al., assigned to TRW Inc., discloses a side actuatable restraining device that is actuated when (i) a first sideways oriented accelerometer provides a discriminating crash acceleration signal indicative of a deployment crash event, and (ii) either (a) a second sideways oriented accelerometer provides a safing crash signal indicative of a deployment crash event, or (b) a third sideways oriented accelerometer provides a safing crash signal indicative of a deployment crash event.
In accordance with the present invention, an apparatus is provided for controlling an actuatable side restraining device of a vehicle. The apparatus includes actuator control means for enabling actuation of the actuatable side restraining device in response to enhanced discrimination and safing determinations.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, an apparatus is provided for controlling an actuatable restraining device of a vehicle. The apparatus includes a crash sensor sensing a vehicle crash condition and providing a crash sensor signal indicative thereof. A controller compares the crash sensor signal against an immunity threshold and enables actuation of the actuatable restraining device when the crash sensor signal is greater than the immunity threshold and for a time after the crash sensor signal becomes less than the immunity threshold.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for controlling an actuatable side restraining device of a vehicle. The method includes the steps of sensing a vehicle crash condition and providing a crash acceleration signal indicative thereof, comparing the crash acceleration signal against an immunity threshold, and enabling actuation of the actuatable side restraining device when the crash acceleration signal is greater than the immunity threshold and for a time after the crash acceleration signal becomes less than the immunity threshold.
Other aspects of the present invention are set forth in the appended claims.